Heckler & Koch HK MP7

History

Broadly speaking, submachine gun-like weapons were primarily developed around existing pistol cartridges, which at the time provided good human deterrence as targets were often unarmored. By the 1980s, however, body armor technology made lighter but effective protection more widely available to users, inspiring the development of new cartridges and corresponding weapons.

Seeing a similar need, NATO waived the cost of the cartridge in 1989, prompting several competing arms companies to develop new solutions.

One submission was a Heckler & Koch HK MP7 with HK 4.6x30mm cartridges. The German company HK has long been a leader in the submachine gun market, and their HK MP5 submachine gun (9mm caliber) became their ubiquitous product line. The HK MP7 incorporates the proven measures that have made the MP5 such a successful weapon, including the use of high-performance composite materials and a focus on design.

However, the MP7 is significantly different from the previous MP5 design, as it was designed to combine a submachine gun, a submachine gun, and a "personal defense weapon" (PDW) into one. Therefore, without losing firepower, it can be issued to special forces, paratroopers (airborne), security personnel, police forces and second-line/logistics units.

Therefore, the HK MP7 is very compact and can be used with a traditional three-point grip (dexterous and shoulder) or a standard two-handed grip like a pistol. The gun weighs 2.6 pounds unladen and is relatively light, with a barrel length of 25 inches. Using a collapsible stock allows the gun to be shortened to a more manageable 16" length, where space is a luxury.

The barrel itself measures 7 inches, while the receiver is only 2 inches wide at its thickest point.

A key design element of the HK MP7 is the proprietary HK 4.6x30mm cartridge. The cartridge was first introduced in 1999 and became widely available in 2001. It has a frameless bottleneck design. Their design is such that the cartridge provides very low recoil, but can penetrate armored objects at long distances - the smaller diameter here is the ride quality. Since its introduction, the cartridge has evolved into a range of solutions including simple penetrators, hollow point products and all-metal shell designs.

The HP MP7 is currently the only gun to use the HK 4.6x30mm cartridge, as well as the cancelled HK UCP pistol. All in all, the HK MP7 and UCP are direct competitors to the Belgian FN-Herstal FN P90 submachine gun and 5-7 pistols - which are chambered for the proprietary 5.7x28mm cartridge.

HK used the action of their successful HK G36 assault rifle in the HK MP7, a gas operating system using a short stroke piston with a rotating bolt assembly. Known as PDW (Personal Defense Weapon), the prototype debuted in 1999.

After a period of evaluation, it went into mass production in 2001 under the company name HK MP7.

The MP7 has a rate of fire of 950 rounds per minute and a muzzle velocity of 2,400 feet per second. The effective range is about 200 meters. The weapon can be fed from a 20-, 30- or 40-round detachable magazine inserted into a UZI-style magazine well that forms a pistol grip.

The ignition controls (selector, safety device) are all ambidextrous to accommodate left- and right-handed users. Sighting is provided by a fore-and-aft folding/adjustable iron sight arrangement and tritium-illuminated folding night vision.

The exterior design of the HK MP7 series is typical of Heckler & Koch, with sharp, clean lines in an all-black finish. There are Picatinny accessory rails on the top and front sides of the receiver (newer models). The gas cylinder is mounted above the barrel, which is mostly enclosed by the front cover.

The magazine/pistol grip is placed close to the center of the design for a good, balanced grip. This allows the rear of the receiver to go over the forearm where the butt is attached. Since the stock is foldable in nature, it can be brought in or pulled out as needed. A notable design feature is the forward-folding vertical grip, which is hinged and folds on the underside of the leading edge in front of the trigger. The trigger itself is wrapped in an elongated ring that can be used with gloved hands.

The fire selector switch is easy to find, with the iconic HK graphic setting in white and red. A single white bullet indicates safety, while a single red bullet allows a single semi-automatic fire. Four in-line bullets represent fully automatic fire.

The

HK MP7 is designed to accommodate a wide range of tactical accessories, including barrel silencers, flashlights, laser sights, reflex sights and a variety of scopes.

The design of the MP7 was updated in 2003 with a new grip, smoother profile, side mounted Picatinny rails and revised stock. Since then, it has been given the company model name "MP7A1". There is a fire-only semi-automatic version of the weapon - the "MP7-SF".

At the time of writing (2012), production of the MP7 continues.

To date, MP7/MP7A1 is used in Albania, Australia, Austria, Croatia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Malaysia, Norway, Oman, South Korea, UK and USA. Many are issued to special forces or police forces. The weapon has been in combat operations in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes